2 comments:

Yes, a helicopter can glide except it's not called a glide, it's called an autorotation. If an engine fails in a helicopter, a clutch automatically disconnects the engine from the gearbox, allowing the tail and main rotors to spin freely. As the helicopter descends, the air rushing up through the rotor system spins the main rotor blades, giving the pilot control. A skilled pilot could land an engineless helicopter on a tennis court from 3000 metres up without damage. How long it can glide depends on its height at the start, but possibly one to 10 minutes.

You're right. Heli can 'glide' - autorotation. All egg-beater pilots are trained in handling emergencies that require an execution of autorotation during all facets of flight, eg, hover, transition, approach to land, straight & level flights.

Surviving the ordeal depends on the availability of space to land. In our virgin jungle with trees more than 200 feet, it could be a real 'hard landing'. For this reason, our mark-2 eyeballs' radar is constantly scanning for any cluster of bamboo trees. They would provide a 'cushioning' effect should we be required to make an emergency landing.